England cricketer Harry Brook has apologised after being involved in a nightclub altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand, just hours before a one-day international (ODI) match that took place before the Ashes.
Reports say Brook, who is England’s white-ball captain and Test vice-captain, was hit by a bouncer after being refused entry to a club in Wellington the night before the third ODI. Although he has kept his captaincy, Brook has been fined around £30,000 and given a final warning over his behaviour.
The incident has come to light following England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, a tour already criticised for a poor team culture, including players drinking heavily during a break in Noosa. Brook admitted his actions were wrong, saying he embarrassed himself and the England team, and promised to learn from the mistake and behave better in future.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the matter was handled through an internal disciplinary process and accepted Brook’s apology. Despite the controversy, Brook will still lead England at the upcoming T20 World Cup and in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.
On the field, Brook struggled during the Ashes, scoring 358 runs in 10 innings without a century. The day after the nightclub incident, England collapsed to 31-4 against New Zealand, with Brook scoring just six runs, before losing the match.
England’s off-field behaviour has since come under heavy scrutiny. Former captain Michael Vaughan said the incident highlights deeper problems within the team and called on the ECB leadership to take responsibility, insisting discipline issues should be dealt with immediately rather than ignored.
